Schedule 1A 


August 24, 1920 


DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

JOHN BARTON PAYNE, Secretary 

to. BUREAU OF MINES 

H 

FREDERICK G. COTTRELL. Director 


FEES FOR TESTING EXPLOSIVES 


AND 

CONDITIONS AND REQUIREMENTS 
UNDER WHICH EXPLOSIVES ARE 

TESTED 







WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 




The Bureau of Mines, in carrying out one of the provisions of its organic 
act—to disseminate information concerning investigations made—prints a 
limited free edition of each of its publications. 

When this edition is exhausted, copies may be obtained at cost price only 
through the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Wash¬ 
ington, D. C. 

The Superintendent of Documents is not an official of the Bureau of Mines. 
His is an entirely separate office and he should be addressed: 

Superintendent of Documents, 

. Government Printing Office , 

Washington, D. C. 

The general law under which publications are distributed prohibits the giving 
of more than one copy of a publication to one person. The price of this publi¬ 
cation is 5 cents. 


First edition. October, 1920. 

R.' af 9. 

DEC 11 1920 


\ 





CONTENTS. 


Page. 


Authorization_ 5 

Definition of a permissible explosive_ 5 

Tests of coal-mining explosives_ 5 

Fees_ 6 

Conditions under which tests will be made_ 6 

Test requirements of explosives for admittance to permissible list_ 8 

Poisonous gases_ 8 

Grade of electric detonator_ 8 

Complete detonation_ 8 

Deflective strength_ 8 

Pendulum friction test_ 9 

Gallery tests--- 9 

Prescribed conditions for use of permissible explosives_ 9 

Conditions under which an otherwise permissible explosive is not per¬ 
missible_ 10 

Explosives not to be considered permanently permissible_ 10 

Remittances_ 10 

Tests of explosives used in metal mines, tunnels, quarries, and other 

engineering operations_ 11 

Fees_ 11 

Conditions under which tests will be made- 11 

Test requirements of explosives used in metal mines, quarries, and other 

engineering operations_ 12 

Remittances_» 13 

8939°—20 3 


v 































FEES FOR TESTING EXPLOSIVES, AND CONDITIONS 
AND REQUIREMENTS UNDER WHICH EXPLOSIVES 
ARE TESTED. 


AUTHORIZATION. 


An act of Congress (37 S'tat., 681) approved February 25, 1913, 
contains the following provision in regard to tests or investigations 
performed by the Bureau of Mines: 

That for tests or investigations authorized by the Secretary of the Interior, 
under the provisions of this act, other than those performed for the Government 
of the United States, or State governments within the United States, a reason¬ 
able fee covering the necessary expenses shall be charged, according to a 
schedule prepared by the Director of the Bureau of Mines and approved by the 
Secretary of the Interior, who shall prescribe rules and regulations under which 
such tests or investigations may be made. All moneys received from such 
sources shall be paid into the Treasury to the credit of miscellaneous receipts. 

Careful consideration has been given the actual necessary expenses 
involved in testing explosives at the Pittsburgh experiment station 
of the bureau, and the following schedule of fees to be charged on 
and after July 1, 1920, has been established and approved by the 
Secretary of the Interior in accordance with the provisions of the 
statute just quoted. The conditions under which these explosives 
are tested are given below. 

DEFINITION OF A PERMISSIBLE EXPLOSIVE. 

An explosive is called a permissible explosive when it is similar 
in all respects to the sample that passed certain tests by the Federal 
Bureau of Mines and when it is used in accordance with the con¬ 
ditions prescribed by this bureau. 

TESTS OF COAL-MINING EXPLOSIVES. 

A complete official test of an explosive to determine its permissi¬ 
bility for use in coal mines shall consist of physical examination, 
small lead-block test, rate of detonation, flame test, gallery tests 1 
and 4, ballistic pendulum,’ explosion by influence, gaseous products 
of combustion, pendulum friction, freezing test by crusher board 
(for explosives marked low-freezing), and chemical analysis. 

8939°—20 5 




6 


FEES FOR TESTING EXPLOSIVES. 


In addition, the bureau will carry out, at the request of the manu¬ 
facturer or applicant, the Trauzl lead-block test, calorimeter test, 
small impact test, large impact test, and maximum pressure test by 
Bichel pressure gage, for which additional fees will be charged in 
accordance with this schedule. 


FEES. 


1. For a complete official test of each explosive to determine its per¬ 

missibility for use in coal mines_.-$150. 00 

2. In case of the failure of an explosive to pass a complete official test- 75.00 

3. Physical examination (for each size of cartridge)—^- 1.00 

4. For three experimental small lead-block tests- 3. 00 

5. For three rate of detonation tests_ 7. 00 

6. For three experimental shots in flame-test apparatus- 3. 00 

7. For each experimental shot in gallery: 

Test No. 1_ 2. 00 

Test No. 4_ 13. 00 

8. For three experimental shots in ballistic pendulum_ 17.00 

9. Explosion by influence_ 6. 00 

10. For one gage test to determine the gaseous products of combustion- 3. 00 

11. For pendulum friction test to determine sensitiveness to frictional 

impact_ 4. 00 

12. Freezing test by crusher board_ 4. 00 

13. For three experimental shots in Trauzl lead blocks_ 7. 00 

14. For three experimental shots to determine the calories developed_ 11. 00 

15. For small impact test to determine sensitiveness to direct impact_ 6. 00 

16. For large impact test to determine sensitiveness to direct impact_ 38. 00 

17. For maximum pressure by Bichel pressure gage test_ 21. 00 

18. Other tests at the estimated cost. 


CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH TESTS WILL BE MADE. 

The conditions under which the Bureau of Mines will test ex¬ 
plosives to determine whether they shall be placed on its lists of 
permissible explosives are as follows: 

1. Tests will be made at the Explosives Experiment Station of the 
Bureau of Mines at Bruceton, Pa. 

2. Applications for tests shall be addressed to the Director, Bureau 
of Mines, Washington, D. C. 

3. The manufacturer or applicant desiring tests to be made shall 
ship prepaid to the Explosives Engineer, Explosives Experiment 
Station, Bureau of Mines, Bruceton, Pa., each explosive in cartridge 
sizes and quantities as requested, and send the original bill of lading 
to Explosives Engineer, Bureau of Mines, 4800 Forbes Street, Pitts¬ 
burgh, Pa. For complete official tests for permissibility, it is re¬ 
quested that the manufacturer ship each explosive in sizes and quanti¬ 
ties as follows: 

Seventy-five pounds in 1J by 8 inch cartridges. 















FEES FOR TESTING EXPLOSIVES. 


7 


Twenty-five pounds in the smallest size of cartridge that he intends 
to market, and in addition, 10 cartridges of all other sizes he intends 
to market. If the smallest size of cartridge to be shipped is 1J by 8 
inches, then 100 pounds of the explosive in this size is requested. 

Physical tests will start not less than 60 days after shipment of the 
explosives as evidenced by the bill of lading. The applicant will be 
notified of the date of starting tests in ample time to have a repre¬ 
sentative present to witness tests. 

4. No one is to be present at or participate in these tests except 
the necessary Government officers at the Experiment Station, their 
assistants, and the representatives of the manufacturer of the ex¬ 
plosives or the applicant desiring tests to be made. The last shall 
be present in the capacity of observers only. 

5. The conduct of the tests shall be entirely in the hands of the 
Bureau’s representatives in charge of the investigation. 

6. The tests will be made in the order of the receipt of the applica¬ 
tions for them, provided the necessary quantity of explosive has been 
received at the experiment station by the date set, of which due notice 
will be given by the Bureau of Mines. 

7. On any application not more than five explosives will be tested 
to determine their permissibility for use in coal mines, nor will more 
than five explosives be tested for any manufacturer during a fiscal 
year so long as there are other manufacturers desiring tests who have 
not had five explosives tested during that fiscal year. 

8. A list of the explosives that pass requirements satisfactorily 
will be furnished to the State mine inspectors in the several States 
and will be made public in such manner as may be considered de¬ 
sirable. 

9. The details of results of tests are to be considered confidential 
and are not to be made public prior to official publication by the 
Bureau of Mines. 

10. From time to time field samples of permissible explosives will 
be collected, and tests will be made of these explosives as they are 
supplied for use in coal mines in the various States. Field samples 
collected in original shipping case will be tested for their permissi¬ 
bility and will be analyzed; the chemical analysis and the physical 
tests of the explosive must agree, within the tolerances as promul¬ 
gated by the Bureau of Mines, with the chemical analysis and physi¬ 
cal tests of the original sample submitted for tests. 

11. The chemical analysis of the explosive and the analysis of the 
gaseous products will be furnished only to the manufacturer. 


8 


FEES FOR TESTING EXPLOSIVES. 


TEST REQUIREMENTS OF EXPLOSIVES FOR ADMITTANCE TO 

PERMISSIBLE LIST. 

All explosives submitted for admittance to the permissible list of 
explosives must pass the following chemical and physical tests with¬ 
out showing any unfavorable results. 

An explosive will be considered unsatisfactory if it is not chem¬ 
ically stable, if it shows leakage of liquid explosive ingredient, or 
if it is in such condition that exudation of liquid explosive ingredient 
would occur in handling or transportation. 

POISONOUS GASES. 

A 680-gram (l^-pound) charge of explosive and original wrapper 
must not evolve 158 liters (5^ cubic feet) or more of poisonous gases. 
The poisonous gas that is likely to be evolved on detonation of a 
permissible explosive is carbon monoxide. Under special conditions 
hydrogen sulphide and oxides of nitrogen may be evolved. 

GRADE OF ELECTRIC DETONATOR. 

Each charge shall be fired with the grade of electric detonator 
recommended by the manufacturer for use with the explosive, but 
' the detonator can not be less than a No. 6; an electric igniter may 
be used with a slow-burning explosive. 

COMPLETE DETONATION. 

The failure of two or more charges to detonate or explode com¬ 
pletely in the course of the official tests will be considered an un¬ 
favorable result when the charges are fired with a suitable detonator 
under a confinement equal to or greater than one atmosphere. 

DEFLECTIVE STRENGTH. 

Heretofore the bureau has designated as the unit deflective charge 
that weight of the explosive, in grams, which, as determined by the 
ballistic pendulum, is equivalent to one-half pound (227 grams) of 
40 per cent straight nitroglycerin dynamite. This designation has 
proved somewhat confusing, because the stronger the explosive the 
smaller the number of grams that expressed the unit deflective 
charge. Hereafter the deflective strength will be expressed as a 
percentage of the strength of 40 per cent straight nitroglycerin dyna¬ 
mite, as determined by the ballistic pendulum. 

The 40 per cent straight nitroglycerin dynamite used has the fol¬ 
lowing formula: 

Per cent. 


Nitroglycerin_ 40 

Nitrate of soda (sodium nitrate)_ 44 

Wood pulp_ 15 

Carbonate of lime (calcium carbonate)_ 1 


100 







FEES FOR TESTING EXPLOSIVES. 


9 


» 

1 he deflective strength shall not be less than 50 per cent of that of 
40 per cent straight nitroglycerin dynamite, as practical tests have 
shown that 1| pounds (680 grams) of an explosive having a deflec¬ 
tive strength less than 50 per cent will not satisfactorily break down 
coal under normal mining conditions. 

PENDULUM FRICTION TEST. 

An explosive must pass a pendulum friction test on the Bureau 
of Mines pendulum friction device—10 trials on the steel anvil with 
the fiber-faced steel shoe falling from a height of \\ meters (59.1 
inches) and carrying an added weight of 20 kilograms (44 pounds) — 
without showing any more unfavorable result than an almost indis¬ 
tinguishable local crackling. A charge of 7 grams of explosive is 
used in each trial. 

GALLERY TESTS. 

An explosive before admittance to the Bureau of Mines permissible 
list must pass without a single ignition the following tests in the 
gas and dust gallery No. 1 of the Bureau of Mines: 

Test No. 1 .—Ten trials with a charge equal to the deflective 
strength, each charge being tamped with 1 pound of dry fire-clay 
stemming fired into a mixture of natural gas and air containing 8 
per cent methane and ethane at a temperature of 77° F. 

Test No. b .—Five trials with a Impound charge of the explosive 
fired without stemming into a mixture of natural gas and air con¬ 
taining 4 per cent of methane and ethane and 20 pounds of bitu¬ 
minous coal dust, 18 pounds of which is to be placed on shelves along 
the sides of the first 20 feet of the gallery and 2 pounds to be so 
placed that it will be stirred up by an air current in such a manner 
that all or part of it will be suspended in the first division of the 
gallery, at a temperature of 77° F. 

PRESCRIBED CONDITIONS EOR USE OF PERMISSIBLE EXPLOSIVES. 

1. That the explosive is in all respects similar to the sample sub¬ 
mitted by the manufacturer for test. 

2. That detonators—preferably electric detonators—are used of 
not less efficiency than those prescribed, namely, those consisting by 
weight of 90 parts of mercury fulminate and 10 parts of potassium 
chlorate (or their equivalents). 

3. That the explosive, if frozen, shall be thoroughly thawed in a 
safe and suitable manner before use. 

4. That the quantity used for a shot does not exceed pounds 
(680 grams), and that it is properly tamped with clay or other non¬ 
combustible stemming. 


10 


FEES FOR TESTING EXPLOSIVES. 


CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH AN OTHERWISE PERMISSIBLE EXPLO¬ 
SIVE IS NOT PERMISSIBLE. 

After an explosive has passed the required tests and its brand name 
has been published in a list of permissible explosives, it is not a per¬ 
missible explosive if one or more of any of the following conditions 
prevail: 

1. If kept in a moist place until it undergoes a change in char¬ 
acter. 

2. If used in a frozen or partly frozen condition. 

3. If used in excess of 1| pounds (680 grams) per shot. 

4. If the diameter of the cartridge is less than that designated 
in the column “ smallest permissible diameter.” 

5. If fired with a detonator or electric detonator of less efficiency 
than that prescribed. 

6. If fired without stemming. 

7. If fired with combustible stemming. 

EXPLOSIVES NOT TO BE CONSIDERED PERMANENTLY PERMIS¬ 
SIBLE. 

Moreover, even when all of the prescribed conditions have been 
met, no explosive on the permissible list should necessarily be con¬ 
sidered as being 'permanently a permissible explosive, for the bureau 
reserves the right, on fuller information concerning the conditions 
that lead to safety, to revise this list; but any permissible explosive 
when used under the prescribed conditions may properly continue to 
be considered a permissible explosive until notice of its withdrawal 
or its removal from the list has been officially published, or until its 
name is omitted from a later list published by the Bureau of Mines. 

Furthermore, the manufacturers of a permissible explosive may 
withdraw it at any time. Manufacturers are urged to do so when 
replacing a permissible explosive by one of superior qualities, or 
when they permanently discontinue the manufacture of a permissible 
explosive. 

After further experiments and conferences the Bureau of Mines 
may find it advisable to adopt additional and more severe tests to 
which all permissible explosives may be subjected, in the hope that 
through the use of such explosives only as pass the more severe test, 
the lives of miners may be better safeguarded. 

REMITTANCES. 

Applicants who submit an explosive for a complete official test to 
determine its permissibility for use in coal mines will be required to 
furnish check or bank draft, made payable to the Secretary of the 
Interior, covering the total fee required for the complete tests. Such 


FEES FOR TESTING EXPLOSIVES. 


11 


fees must be received at least three weeks prior to the date set for 
beginning the tests. Checks for the full amount charged for experi¬ 
mental shots, such as flame tests and rate of detonation tests, are 
required three weeks prior to the date set for such tests. 

TESTS OF EXPLOSIVES USED IN METAL MINES, TUNNELS, 

QUARRIES, AND OTHER ENGINEERING OPERATIONS. 

• • 

A complete official test of an explosive for use in metal mines, 
tunnels, quarries, and other engineering operations shall consist of 
physical examination, small lead block test, rate of detonation, Trauzl 
lead-block test, ballistic pendulum, theoretical maximum pressure, 
products of combustion, pendulum friction, freezing test by crusher 
board (for explosive marked low-freezing), and chemical analysis. 

In addition the bureau will carry out, at the request of the manu¬ 
facturer or applicant, calorimeter tests, small impact test, and large 
impact test, for which additional fees will be charged in accordance 
with this schedule. 

FEES. 


1. For a complete official test of each explosive to determine its suit¬ 

ability for use in metal mines, tunnels, quarries, and other engi¬ 
neering purposes_$50. 00 

2. For two experimental shots in ballistic pendulum and two in gage 

to determine propulsive effect_ 20. 00 

3. For two experimental shots in Trauzl lead block, two on small lead 

blocks, and two rate of detonation (Mettegang recorder) tests, 
to determine disruptive effect_ 11.00 

4. Physical examination (for each size of cartridge of each explosive)_ 1. 00 

5. For two experimental shots on small lead blocks_ 2. 00 

6. For two experimental shots to determine rate of detonation_ 4. 00 

7. For two experimental shots in ballistic pendulum_ 12. 00 

8. For one gage test to determine products of combustion_ 3. 00 

9. For pendulum friction test to determine sensitiveness to glancing 

blow_ 4. 00 

10. For crusher-board test- 4. 00 

11. For two experimental shots in Trauzl lead blocks--• 4. 00 

12. For two experimental shots to determine the calories developed_ 8. (X) 

13. For small impact test- 6. 00 

14. For large impact test_ 38. 00 

15. For two experimental shots in gage- 14. 00 

16. Other tests at estimated cost. 


CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH TESTS WILL BE MADE. 

1. Tests will be made at the Explosives Experiment Station of the 
Bureau of Mines, at Bruceton, Pa. 

2. Application for tests shall be addressed to the Director, Bureau 
of Mines, Washington, D. C. 
















12 


FEES FOR TESTING EXPLOSIVES. 


3. The manufacturer or applicant desiring tests to be made shall 
consign to the Explosives Engineer, Explosives Experiment Station, 
Bureau of Mines, Bruceton, Pa., each explosive in cartridge size and 
quantities as requested, and send the original bill of lading to the 
Explosives Engineer, Bureau of Mines, 4800 Forbes Street, Pitts¬ 
burgh, Pa. For complete tests for suitability 50 pounds of each 
explosive is required. 

4. Physical tests will start not less than 60 days after shipment of 
the explosives as evidenced by the bill of lading. The applicant will 
be notified of the date of starting tests. 

5. No one is to be present at or participate in these tests except the 
necessary Government officers at the experiment station, their as¬ 
sistants, and the representatives of the manufacturer of the explo¬ 
sives or the applicant desiring tests to be made. The last shall be 
present in the capacity of observers only. 

6. The conduct of the tests shall be entirely in the hands of the 
bureau’s representatives in charge of the investigation. 

7. These tests will be made in the order of the receipt of the appli¬ 
cations for them, provided the necessary quantity of the explosive 
has been received at the experiment station by the date set, of which 
due notice will be given by the Bureau of Mines. 

8. A list of the explosives that pass certain requirements satis¬ 
factorily will be furnished to the State mine inspectors in the several 
States, and will be made public in such manner as may be considered 
desirable. 

9. The details of results of tests are to be considered confidential 
and are not to be made public prior to official publication by the 
Bureau of Mines. 

TEST REQUIREMENTS OF EXPLOSIVES USED IN MINES, TUNNELS, 
QUARRIES, AND OTHER ENGINEERING OPERATIONS. 

Each charge shall be fired with an electric detonator of not less 
efficiency than a No. 6 or its equivalent; an electric igniter may be 
used with slow-burning explosives. 

The failure of two or more charges to detonate or explode com¬ 
pletely in the course of the official tests will be considered an unfa¬ 
vorable result when fired with a suitable detonator under confinement 
equal to or greater than one atmosphere. 

An explosive must pass a pendulum friction test on the Bureau 
of Mines pendulum friction device of 10 trials with the steel anvil 
and the fiber-faced steel shoe, the latter falling from a height of 1J 
meters (59.1 inches) and carrying an added weight of 20 kilograms 
(44 pounds), without showing any more unfavorable result than an 
almost indistinguishable local crackling. 


FEES FOR TESTING EXPLOSIVES. 


13 


The explosive must be in such condition that the chemical and 
physical tests do not show any unfavorable results. An explosive 
will be considered unsatisfactory if it is not chemically stable, if it 
shows leakage of liquid-explosive ingredient, or if it is in such condi¬ 
tion that exudation of liquid explosive ingredient would occur in 
handling or transportaion. 

An explosive will be considered unsatisfactory for use in metal 
mines, tunnels, and similar operations if, on detonation in the gauges, 
it evolves poisonous gases in quantities that may be considered 
harmful to the health of the miners. 

REMITTANCES. 

Applicants who submit explosives for tests will be required to fur¬ 
nish check or bank draft, made payable to the Secretary of the Inte¬ 
rior, to cover the total fee required for the tests desired. Such fees 
must be received at least three weeks prior to the date set for begin¬ 
ning the tests. 

Frederick G. Cottrell, 

Director. 

Approved: August 24, 1920. 

John Barton Payne, 

Secretary. 

o . 



